My CEO Story… Reka Lenart, ALTO
ALTO, the global association for international education agencies, schools and service providers, is led by CEO Reka Lenart, who joined the independent body 15 years ago to raise the sector’s profile. Lenart describes ALTO’s mission as elevating education through leadership, integrity and shared best practices. The organization is rolling out a high‑level leadership weekend in Madrid this May, relaunching its ALTO Pulse sentiment survey, and exploring a sector‑wide industry radar. These initiatives aim to standardise practices and provide members with actionable market intelligence.
EC English Language Centres Closes Bristol and Montreal Sites
EC English Language Centres, founded in Malta in 1991, will close its Bristol campus by the end of June and its Montreal centre by the end of September after a strategic review. The chain will keep four UK locations and...
Congress Urged to Block “Shortsighted” Research Cuts
The White House FY27 budget request proposes steep reductions in federal research funding, including a 12% cut to the National Institutes of Health and more than a 50% cut to the National Science Foundation. The American Association of Universities is...
INTO University Partnerships Acquires Kings Education
INTO University Partnerships has completed the acquisition of Kings Education, with the latter retaining its brand as a distinct unit under the INTO umbrella. The deal adds Kings’ expertise in UK and US university pathways, English‑language training, K‑12 schools and...
Boa Lingua Acquired by StudyLingua Group
StudyLingua Group has acquired Swiss language‑travel provider Boa Lingua, with the deal back‑dated to Jan 1 2026. Boa Lingua will continue operating under its own name, while joining StudyLingua’s portfolio that already includes Pro Linguis and DIALOG‑Sprachreisen. The acquisition is positioned as...
Lee Schuneman, Efekta
Lee Schuneman, a former Nintendo developer turned education‑tech leader, describes himself as disruptive, ambitious and empathetic. At Efekta, he champions technology that supports teachers rather than replaces them, drawing on his gaming background to embed playfulness into learning outcomes. He...
Canada Considers Easing Work Authorisation for International Students
Canada’s immigration department is proposing to let international students and recent graduates work without a separate work permit while they await study‑permit extensions or post‑graduate work‑permit (PGWP) decisions. The plan also removes the co‑op work‑permit requirement for eligible apprentices and...
“Risk Has Never Been Higher”: UK Sector Urged on Compliance
UK higher‑education leaders warned that institutional risk is at its highest as visa refusals surge and processing delays stretch to six months. The new RAG rating system, launching in June 2026, will grade universities on visa refusals, enrolment and course...
Reflections on a Career in International Education, Shaped by Experience
The outgoing chief executive of UKCISA reflects on a career that moved from language services to government, consultancy and finally national advocacy for international students. He credits personal study abroad experiences for shaping his belief in mobility as a catalyst...
A View From: Growing the Next Generation of Leaders in International Education
Leaders in international education are increasingly recognising that their talent pipelines focus too heavily on student recruitment while neglecting internal leadership development. The article argues that structured programmes, especially modern apprenticeships, provide a formal, inclusive route to equip managers with...
Chris Arnold, Made Impact
Chris Arnold, founder of Made Impact, is building a nonprofit platform to capture a million stories of impact from international education and exchange programs. The organization aims to leverage those narratives to secure a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and to...
UK-Based GlobalNxt Buys Malaysian Uni From Manipal
UK‑based education group GlobalNxt has acquired Malaysia’s GlobalNxt University from the Manipal Education Group in an undisclosed‑value deal. The purchase adds a digital‑focused university to GlobalNxt’s existing portfolio, which already includes OTHM Qualifications, the London Graduate School and Sri Lanka’s...
Explained: The Proposed RAG Rating System for BCA Metrics
The Home Office has drafted a red‑amber‑green (RAG) rating system to replace the legacy Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) framework for UK student sponsors from June 2026. Sponsors will be judged on three core metrics—visa refusal rate, enrolment rate and course...
My CEO Story… Gaurav Batra, Infinite Group
Gaurav Batra, CEO of Infinite Group, founded the company to close the disconnect between students, recruitment partners, and education providers. He launched IUnite.AI, a unified platform that streamlines collaboration across the international education ecosystem. The firm positions itself as purpose‑driven,...
“Usually the Exception, Not the Norm” – TETR Founder on Why He Ripped up the Rule Book
Pratham Mittal, a former university student, founded experiential institutions Master’s Union and TETR College, emphasizing learning by doing. Master’s Union in Delhi reports 25% of graduates become entrepreneurs and the highest entry salaries among Indian business schools. TETR College’s flagship...
UK Government Gets Tough on Uni Franchises
The UK’s Office for Students (OfS) will enforce a new condition of registration from 31 March, obligating universities that host 100 or more students on subcontracted programmes to publish fee‑share data, strategic rationale and risk‑mitigation measures. The rule targets the rapid...
How Univive Is Transforming What a Recruitment Service Partner Should Look Like
Nearly 80% of UK universities missed their September 2024/25 international recruitment targets, highlighting systemic misalignment among universities, agents, and students. Univive, part of Planet Education Networks, proposes an end‑to‑end partnership model that strengthens in‑market positioning, treats agents as long‑term collaborators,...
From Classroom to Boardroom: Has UKVI Compliance Come of Age?
Sixteen years after the Tier 4 visa launch, UKVI compliance in UK higher education remains largely reactive, with specialist teams often handling both operational checks and assurance tasks. The article argues that this blended model blurs responsibility lines and hampers clear...
AI Won’t Shortcut Education. Unless We Let It
Pearson warns that generic AI can shortcut education, but purpose‑built AI embedded in its e‑textbooks can actually strengthen active reading. A 2024 Wharton study linked general AI use to weaker long‑term outcomes, while Pearson’s analysis of 79 million interactions showed its...
Skills-Focussed Indian Business School Set for University Status
Master’s Union, a Gurugram‑based business and technology school, has received a Letter of Intent from the Haryana government to become a state private university. The institution plans to open a 10‑acre, LEED‑certified campus in phases, with the first phase slated...